Archive for July, 2014

Recent News

The Himeyuri Peace Museum in Itoman marked its 25th anniversary on June 23rd this year. In March 2014, the total number of visitors over the last 25 years was 19,801,496 people. Many students on school trips and tourists from outside Okinawa visited the museum. The national government during the war made students go to the battlefields. The museum presents war as it is through its exhibition, and tells the stories of the dangers to Okinawan school...

On July 18, the Okinawa Prefectural Government announced the number of tourists who came to Okinawa in June 2014. A total of 557, 300 visitors represents a 13.9 percent increase over the same month last year, setting a new monthly record. This is the first time the...

Three calligraphers, including Houn Toyohira from Okinawa, have deepened regional ties through a cultural exchange with five artists representing Fujian, China at the Fujian and Okinawa Friendship Hall in Fujian Province, China. The program was held on July 11.

The U.S. Marine Corps plans to raise the vertical limit of the restricted airspace for aircraft training over the Central Training Area in Okinawa. This training area is near Camp Hansen in Kin and Ginoza, and Camp...

In an effort to promote the fascinating art of Uji (sugarcane)-dyeing nationwide, Yumiko Ishibashi, a designer and tailor living in Kyoto, has been creating a line of products. At-tracted to Uji-dyeing, which is a signature fabric-dying style of...

The Okinawa Prefectural Government chose Tokyo-based NTT Communications Corp to install an underwater cable connecting Okinawa, areas around Tokyo and Asian countries on July 17. With a vision to make Okinawa an information hub for Asia, the government will work...

On May 7, 12 saw sharks were born at the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Motobu. It was the first time that a saw shark became pregnant and succeeded in giving birth to its babies at the aquarium. This is a rare, successful case for aquariums around the world because...

The government has instructed the National Police Agency to strengthen security surrounding protests over seabed drilling in Henoko, Nago, where U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is due to be relocated. The Okinawa Prefectural Police plans to set up a public...

On 6 July, a symposium to promote a future of friendly Japan-China relations through the learning of languages was held at the Okinawa City Civic Hall in Yaeshima, Okinawa City. With Professor Moritake Tomikawa of the Okinawa International University as coordinator,...